Jeremy Stephens

Son of Walt. Stephens sometimes Rector of Bishops Castle in Shropshire, was born there 1592, entred a Student in Brasn. Coll. 29 March 1609, where by continual lucubration he diligently ran through all the forms of Logick and Philosophy, and took the degrees in Arts, that of Master being compleated in 1615. In Decemb. the same year, he was made Deacon, and about that time Chaplain of Alls. Coll. In 1616 May 26, he received the Orders of Priesthood, and in 1621 was made Rector of Quinton in Northamptonshire. Five years after that, he had confer’d upon him the Rectory of Wotton within a Mile of Quinton, which, with Quinton, were bestowed on him by K. Ch. 1. In 1628 he was admitted to the reading of the Sentences, and in 1641 was made Prebendary of Biggleswade in the Church of Lincolne, by the favour of Dr. Laud Archb. of Canterbury, as a reward of his Labours, with Sir Hen. Spelman, in the Edition of the first tome or volume of the Councils. In 1644 he was sequestred from all his Ecclesiastical preferments by a Committee sitting at Northampton, plunder’d, imprison’d, barbarously used and silenced. After the Kings retur [•] in 1660, he was restored to them, and for a requital of his sufferings had the Prebendship of Il [•] racomb in the Church of Salisbury confer’d upon him, upon the resignation of Edw. Davenant. He hath written and published these things following.

Notae in D. Cyprian. de unitate Ecclesiae. Lond. 1632. oct.

Notae in D. Cypr. de bono patientiae. Lond. 1633. oct. Both which were collated with antient Mss. by the care of certain Oxonian Theologists.

Apologie for the antient right and power of the Bishops to sit and vote in Parliaments. Lond. 1660, the question then of restitution being under debate. In the year 1663 he began to print the History of Sacriledge, designed and began by Sir Hen. Spelman, and left to Stephens to perfect and publish; but that work sticking long in the Press, both the copy and sheets printed off, perished in the grand conflagration of London 1666. Besides these he finished and fitted for the Press divers other pieces, whereof the argument of some were superseded by the Kings happy restauration, such as,

A comparison between the Belgick, Gallick, Bohemian and Scotch, with the English, Covenant.

Account of the principles and practices of the Presbyterians.

The Sequestration of the Clergy by Joh. Pym and Joh. White.

Other things which he finished but prevented their publication by death, are these.

Treatise of the Laws of England.

The design of the Cormorants upon the Church Lands, defeated in the time of K. Hen. (5) effected in the days of K. Hen. 8.—and other things. He also published B. Gregorii magni, Episcopi Romani, de curâ pastorali liber verè aureus, accuratè emendatus & restitutus è Vet. Mss. cum Romanâ Editione collatis. Lond. 1629. oct. This was the Book that the most renown’d K. Alfred translated into the Saxon Language, and recommended to all the Diocesses of his Kingdom in that great dearth of learning, when scarce a Priest on the North of Humber was found able to translate the Lords Prayer, or to understand the Latine Service. This I say he published, being collated with antient Mss. by the care of several Oxford Doctors and Bach. of Divinity. In the year also 1633 he was joyned with Sir Hen. Spelman to assist in compiling and publishing the first Tome of the English Councils, a work that cost them seven years labour. And tho the Book bare the name of Spelman, yet is the assistance of our Author Stephens acknowledged by Spelman in the Preface to the Reader in these words.—Quo autem auspicio in lucem prodibunt (me jam sane propemodum exhausto) secundus & tertius (viz. Tomus) haud ausim polliceri. Nisi illos vir dilectus & bono natus publico Jeremias Stephens typis curaverit mandandos, cujus operâ primu [•] hic Tomus (me adhuc tantum non invito) in lucem prodiit. After this, viz. in 1641 Spelman died and was buried in the Abbey Church of S. Peter at Westminster, near to the door of S. Nicholas Chappel, 24. oct. and then some years after, our Author Stephens published Spelmans larger work of Tithes, to which he put a large Preface to the Reader; also his Apologie of the Treatise, De non temerandis Ecclesiis.—with four little Treatises annexed thereunto, on the same subject by different hands. At length Mr. Stephens surrendring up his pious Soul to God at Wotton before mention’d, on the ninth day of January in sixteen hundred sixty and four,1664/5. was buried in the Chancel of the Church there. Over his grave was a comely Monument intended to be put, in the year 1672, but whether yet performed I know not. The inscription which was designed to be engraven thereon, you may see a copy of it in Hist. & Antiq. Univ. Oxon. lib. 2. p. 224. a.